Steffen Baumgart before a game.
Source: Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
TRainer Steffen Baumgart from the Bundesliga soccer club 1. FC Köln has ruled out a change from the back four to the back three despite the great personnel worries in the defense. “No,” Baumgart called out loud when asked if there was a chain of three in the game at VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (3:30 p.m. / Sky) is possible: “Before I switch to the chain of three, people, everything is fine … It is often considered a panacea, but mostly it is a chain of five with a parked bus. This isn’t my story. I’ll stay with the back four.”
In addition to the offensive players Sebastian Andersson and Mark Uth as well as midfielder Mathias Olesen, Jeff Chabot and Benno Schmitz will be absent on defense in Wolfsburg. Kingsley Ehizibue, Schmitz’ substitute at right-back, and centre-back Bright Akwo Arrey-Mbi left the club midweek. On the other hand, midfielder Eric Martel could play despite breaking his metacarpal hand on Sunday and undergoing surgery on Tuesday.
Baumgart, who pulled four players from the U19 and U21 into professional training and gave all squad opportunities, wants the personnel worries, but “does not want to use them to say how difficult it is for us”. And he didn’t want to complain about the double burden of participating in the European Cup. “Let’s stop this. We don’t have to whine all the time about how high the burden is, everyone knows that.” Baumgart admitted that he and his staff “didn’t yet have the exact experience” to deal with it: “But the guys all make a good impression.”
